Bike sales boom.

[Chislenko]

As per the sizing chart on Orbea I'd be a 51, and according to other manufacturers, i should also be a small (51-53 Frame) but i've been riding a 54 frame for 4 years. It's a case of have I been riding a wrong-sized bike for the last 4 years

Also, how have you found the bike? 😊

I've had my M20 since 2015 and can't fault it. I am 5 11 and opted for a 55. It has been great up to this year but as I get older am finding I am a bit stretched on it. I appear to have long legs and short arms!!

If I get the seat right them I am a bit stretched to the bars. I have ridden it last five years no problem but as I say getting on a bit so have just ordered a 90 stem to replace the 110 that is on it.

Would I have got away with a 53, not sure, think I may not have had enough seat post before the "safety mark".

Don't know what is on a modern M20, mine came with Ultegra, Kysrium Equippe S wheels and FSA Energy bars and stem. Seat was a Prologo but didn't like it so changed it.

And more importantly for me they still sold bikes with rim brakes back then!

Edit. Funnily enough just put my measurements into the Orbea calculation tool for Orca and it recommends a 53 for me.

 

[ColinJ]

I'll take a good look at them when I next see you.

They are just standard Shimano M520s. I did notice one difference last night though - they are black rather than the silver of my old pedals. That finish will probably start to look a bit tatty once the metals cleats have scraped across them a few dozen times, but I'm not too bothered about that. SPDs work really well for me.

 

[Blue Hills]

They are just standard Shimano M520s. I did notice one difference last night though - they are black rather than the silver of my old pedals. That finish will probably start to look a bit tatty once the metals cleats have scraped across them a few dozen times, but I'm not too bothered about that. SPDs work really well for me.

Every pedal has a tale.
As I said, will natter about when I see you.
As a side issue, i agree that black is a slightly pointless finish - bought some good condition black cranks on ebay for a "black build" recently and scratched them putting them on.

 

[T4tomo]

Tell me about it... I'm desperately trying to get a Charge Ladle saddle, but OOS everywhere in the UK.

I can get one from the US, but owwwww, my poor wallet!

Been looking at the ladies' Fabric Scoop as an alternative, but that's close to being a similar problem. One cropped up on Ebay t'other day, and it was a bloomin' bun fight...

Sigma did have a scoop in stock as i sent one back the other day, a chapter in the ongoing saga of finding a saddle to suit my OH's bottom. we have two probably being trialled currently so their is light at the end of the tunnel

 

[fair weather cyclist]

Which is all well and good but not if you're trying to get one.

It's a real nightmare trying to get a new bike.

I have an appointment booked with a bike fitting company to find the perfect frame size/bike for me (using the retul bike). It's going to be fun when they suggest a list of potential bikes and I'll have to say ok mate thanks I'll be able to buy it in 2022

 

[Cycleops]

Since they're charging you @fair weather cyclist I think part of their remit should be to only suggest ones that are available with a reasonable delivery time.

 

[Reynard]

Sigma did have a scoop in stock as i sent one back the other day, a chapter in the ongoing saga of finding a saddle to suit my OH's bottom. we have two probably being trialled currently so their is light at the end of the tunnel

I've given up on the Scoop and am going to have a crack at the Madison Leia instead.

It's very similar to the Ladle in terms of shape and profile, just a smidgin narrower and longer. And I can get one for 25 notes, so will give it a punt.

 

[fair weather cyclist]

Since they're charging you @fair weather cyclist I think part of their remit should be to only suggest ones that are available with a reasonable delivery time.

Yes, I'll point that out.

Anyways I'm fairly confident there will be a BMC among the bikes they'll suggest as they seem to be BMC stockist. Which I wouldn't even be mad of; I like BMC bikes and you never know, maybe they can get me a bike more quickly

 

[Chislenko]

Sigma did have a scoop in stock as i sent one back the other day, a chapter in the ongoing saga of finding a saddle to suit my OH's bottom. we have two probably being trialled currently so their is light at the end of the tunnel

Is that any way to talk about your OH's bottom

 

[AuroraSaab]

There seemed to be a huge surge in casual and family cyclists during the first lockdown when the roads were empty, but not so much this time round. I was in Decathlon a couple of weeks ago and they had only a handful of bikes out, with a sign saying to look online. The local Evans last week though seemed to have loads more in stock again and was pretty much full of bikes.

Used prices still pretty high round here though and very few discounts on new bikes, apart from the really expensive stuff. Not a great time to be buying a bike or upgrading components.

 

[Chislenko]

There will be plenty on eBay if Nicola gets in again...."A Free Bike For Every Child" is in her manifesto apparently!

 

[CanucksTraveller]

"A Free Bike For Every Child"

That's the deal of the century. Where do I sign?

 

[cyberknight]

discussion at the cake stop today was a local bike shop is taking orders for 2023

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

Used prices still pretty high round here though and very few discounts on new bikes, apart from the really expensive stuff. Not a great time to be buying a bike or upgrading components.

I really don't know why anyone who currently has a bike of some description, is even bothering at the moment. It's just going to be an endless merry-go-round of chasing stock that doesn't actually exist.
Different if you've just had one nicked and you genuinely need a replacement bike, but for most people they are just asking for hassle, disappointment, wasted time, and not even any decent value deals to make all the fruitless effort worthwhile. Just wait a year!

 

[IanSmithCSE]

Good evening,

As mentioned on another thread I broke my general purpose bike's frame a couple of weeks ago and I just wanted to get something as I have been commuting on my plastic bike and wondering if it would still be there at the end of the day.

I ended up spending £190 on this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Norco-va...225224?hash=item447ab170c8:g:FzEAAOSw~eFgc1H8

Interestingly ebay shows £95 as I used the Best Offer option and that doesn't seem to replace the highest bid.

Had I waited the auction out I may have been able to save a bit, possibly, but I was getting fed up with the time taken and ebay listings being closed early or going silly price wise so I am happy with the result.

A Norco Valance, apparently Noroco are a Canadian brand sold by Evens and aren't just own brand specials thrown together out of what happens to be available. Aluminium frame with internal cable routing and CF forks, Claris gears, and wheels that are unbuckled and rotate smoothly, yup they aren't a premium brand. The brake blocks say Tektro so I am guessing that they are the original ones as I have never see them being sold.

The only real negative is that it could do with a new cassette as it has an 12-32 meaning it's really only 6 speed as 28/32 are useless for me and an annoying jump from 18 to 21.

As far as I can find it would have been somewhere between £400 and £600 new, so it wasn't a bargain but given its condition it wasn't expensive either.

It's my first experience with Claris and as the bike isn't new it could be that, but the cables are new and everything feels like it is working as it should, and I was a little under whelmed. Chain ring shifting was definitely easier and feels faster with downtube shifters and the cassette shifting was definitely more clunky that I am used to, next weekend the Claris rear mech will be swapped for a 105 one to see if this is an improvement. This is an older Claris with the external gear cable routing not the under the bar tape version.

I am being quite picky here as over the last couple of weeks I have become acclimatised to Di2, and my steel bike had recent 105 rear and Ultegra front mechs.

Had I not found this I was about to buy an Apollo Paradox and transfer the bits from the broken bike onto it, effectively buying just the frame/forks/bars and saddle.

Bye

Ian